Find your Patron for 2011

At Pure and Simple there is an excellent post about choosing a Patron Saint for the year. This used to be a custom amongst religious communities for New Year's Day, and perhaps, in places it still is. Pure and Simple notes that modernity has caught up with a Patron Saint Generator by Jennifer Fulweiler. This idea strikes me as charming! What a fab way to find out about new saints and their stories! Pure and Simple notes that the modern custom seems to come from an excerpt of St Faustina’s diary:

“There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year’s Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning, during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn’t read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: ‘I am your patron. Read.’ I looked at once at the inscription and read, ‘Patron for the Year 1935 – the Most Blessed Eucharist.’ My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament,where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be at that moment together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.”

Excerpt from “Divine Mercy in My Soul, the Diary of St. Faustina”

I tried it, and my Patron for 2011 is St. John of Damascus, which pleased me greatly because he is the Doctor of Christian Art, and the first topic I am going to be teaching this new year is the Christian Creed through Art -  one of my favourite themes to boot. Do you dare or care to find a Patron for 2011? :)